“Stop Giving Taunts”: Charles Barkley Castigates NBA Ref Scott Foster For Humiliating Anthony Edwards

Charles Barkley dropped a stern warning to the refs after the Game 1 mishap. While Anthony Edwards put up a 43-point night to steal Game 1, he went viral for a different reason. The Minnesota Timberwolves rising superstar received an uncanny technical foul for a stare-down at Denver Nuggets‘ Reggie Jackson. As the fanbase unleashed its wrath via social media, at the same time, Barkley also pitched in deeming Scott Foster’s call to be “a** play”.

During the post-game analysis on TNT alongside the Inside Guys, Chuck furiously went after the refs for the call. He said, “Hey, Mr.Official, nobody came to see your a** play. Stop giving taunts technicals in the game. Nobody came to see you. You give a warning. You don’t call taunting technical in a playoff… For staring, don’t do that.” Nevertheless, Ant-Man orchestrated an important 106-99 road win for the Wolves in Game 1. The tech call didn’t upset the rising superstar’s rhythm as he dominated Nikola Jokić & Co. with a dominant win on the road. Can it be considered a payback teaser for the 2023 playoff exit against the same team?

While the Wolves were unbothered by the ref’s decision, Charles Barkley seemed raged and demanded the refs not to call tech on taunts. Ironically, this came from a man who almost led the league for the most techs in history. Chuck currently stands in the second spot, with 329 techs only behind Karl Malone, who has 332 techs. On average, the Phoenix Suns legend has around 25 techs per season. He truly cannot be the player of this generation!

On top of it, Chuck showcased his frustration with the refs on live TV tonight, but during his playing years, he had a different response. In 1993, the legend chased down a referee to the locker room over a disagreement. He did pay the price for it as the league slapped a $10,000 fine and a one-game suspension.

What are the rules for taunting in the league?

Compared to the 90s basketball, the rules have gotten a lot stricter in terms of player conduct. Especially after the introduction of the taunting fouls, the players need to keep their emotions in check every moment of the game. Even while sitting on the bench. The league’s Rulebook has distinguished taunting fouls into four types.

Firstly, clapping aggressively at the opponent, yelling at the opponent, flexing at the opponent, and placing the ball or stepping over a fallen opponent. While Ant-Man’s stare-down wasn’t listed in the book, he was given tech on the grounds of taunting the opponent. Moreover, if the player aggressively argued with the ref, they have the power to throw another tech at the players. However, when Edwards was given a tech for taunting, the refs failed to call tech on Jamal Murray as well, for taunting Karl-Anthony Towns after generating a four-point play.

What do you make of the lapse in the officiating, especially during playoffs? Let us know in the comments below.